Daycare August 14th

If you have been to the Paw anytime in the last few months, you would have seen that we have been looking after a few horses - or so they've been named by many an onlooker. One after another we hear the same astonishing comment "Oh my! Those are the biggest dogs I've ever seen!" Without even an upward glance we know they must be referring to none other than Drake and Raisen, Great Danes and definitely great dogs. I hadn't spent a lot of time around a giant breed before I met these two so I had no idea what I was in for. I, for some reason, expected them to be kind of like dinosaurs, taking measured steps and moving slowly because of all that body mass. Boy, was I exactly wrong wrong wrong. Though Raisen looks stoic and reserved in the first picture, he and his "brother" spend most of their time in positions more like the second picture. They run, they tumble, they wrestle, they jump, and they lean.

(Leaning is a funny little trick I have only seen the Danes do. Its great when you're in the mood for a little extra love and affection, but unless your used to bench pressing over 100lbs, it can also be the Danes way of playing bowling for humans so watch out!)

Through my days with Raisen and Drake, I have learned that Great Danes are very loving, very loyal, very active, very clumsy, and very affectionate. I would'nt be able to tell you if all Danes were this way or if these two are simply a product of responsible training but after doing a little background check on the breed I am convinced more of the former. They will get slobber on your shirt, they will accidentally step on your foot, and they will most likely disregard their size in an attempt to be a lap dog but it's all worth it. They will also love you forever (click here for theme song to this section), they will relieve you of all the food you don't like, they will cuddle with you at night, they will absolutely miss you when you leave. What more could you need?

Raisen and Drake are here every day so check them out on the webcams right now! Maybe you'll get lucky and see them bowl a strike. :)


Also, the rambunctious puppy that is keeping the boys so entertained in picture #2 is Lilly. She is up for adoption and waiting for you to come take her to her new home! Hurry Up!

Ode to an Aussie

Its been a while since I dedicated a blog to a specific breed but when you've got something nice to say... say it! I have taken a special liking to a few of my friends here at the Paw (Jib, Argos, Stella, Blue) and wanted to study up on their breed and share with you a little about the wonder that is the Australian Shepherd. Just by spending daycare time with them, I have noticed a few common personality traits. First and foremost, they are energetic...very energetic. I have yet to see a single one of them join into the afternoon nap and I have definitely never seen one yawn. They run around the room instinctually herding everything that moves and only Jib will stop for a moment to put his head in my lap for some pets. They are gorgeous, loving, and extremely friendly but as it turns out, aren't Australian.

Weird huh?
To really get into it I did a little background research and found out the Aussie really originated right here in the US. It was so named because the sheepherders they worked with came from Australia. Their little helpers, however, are pure breed North Americans (western, to be exact). The rest of their history was pretty straight forward.

-Bred to be working dogs so are now absolutely fantastic at agility, obedience, flyball, frisby, etc,

-Appearing in all the coolest colors (Stella and Argos = blue merle, Jib and Blue = red merle) plus two additional tri colors

-Have the most striking eyes in either light blue, golden brown, or if you're lucky, one of each.

-And, coming in two sizes. The original (all our clients) and mini which can be as small as 15 lbs!

If you havent met one yet, hopefully this blog encourages you to seek one out at your next doggy outing... though you'd never actually catch one. In fact, my bet is if you did, you'd probably earn three wishes out of the deal. Give it a shot! :)